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Tibetan Religious Leader Is Stabbed to Death in China 3 Arrested in Death of Tibetan Religious Leader in China
(about 11 hours later)
BEIJING — Three men have been arrested in the stabbing death of a prominent Tibetan religious leader and British citizen who founded a monastery and Buddhist center in Scotland, Chinese state news media reported on Wednesday. The religious leader’s nephew and driver were also killed in the attack, which took place Tuesday in the western provincial capital of Chengdu. BEIJING — Three men have been arrested in the stabbing death of a prominent Tibetan religious leader and British citizen who founded a monastery and Buddhist center in Scotland, Chinese state news media reported Wednesday. The religious leader’s nephew and driver were also killed in the attack, which took place on Tuesday in the western provincial capital of Chengdu.
According to an official microblog post on Tuesday night by the Chengdu police force, the three suspects — who, based on their names, appear to be ethnic Tibetans — had had an “economic dispute” with the religious leader, Choje Akong Rinpoche. The suspects confronted Mr. Akong and the other two victims with knives at Mr. Akong’s home in Chengdu on Tuesday morning, the police said. A spokesman for the Chengdu police declined to give more details about the attack or the motivations of the suspects. According to an official microblog post on Tuesday night by the Chengdu police force, the three suspects — who, based on their names, appear to be ethnic Tibetans — had an “economic dispute” with the religious leader, Choje Akong Rinpoche. The suspects confronted Mr. Akong and the other two victims with knives at Mr. Akong’s home in Chengdu on Tuesday morning, the police said. A spokesman for the Chengdu police declined to give more details about the attack or the motivations of the suspects.
Mr. Akong was known as a charismatic religious leader who searched for ways for Tibetans and Chinese to work together. Many Tibetans have bridled at rule by Beijing ever since the Chinese Communist Party and its military invaded and occupied central Tibet in 1951. In recent years, tensions between Tibetans and Chinese security forces deployed across the Tibetan plateau have soared: In 2008, Tibetans took part in a mass uprising, which was harshly suppressed, and since then more than a hundred Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest. Mr. Akong was known as a charismatic religious leader who searched for ways for Tibetans and Chinese to work together. Many Tibetans have bridled at rule by Beijing ever since the Chinese Communist Party and its military invaded and occupied central Tibet in 1951. In recent years, tensions between Tibetans and Chinese security forces deployed across the Tibetan plateau have soared. In 2008, Tibetans took part in a mass uprising, which was harshly suppressed, and since then more than a hundred Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest.
Robert J. Barnett, a scholar of modern Tibet at Columbia University, said Mr. Akong’s murder did not appear to be motivated by sectarian or ethnic tensions, or politics. Robert J. Barnett, a scholar of modern Tibet at Columbia University, said Mr. Akong’s killing did not appear to be motivated by sectarian or ethnic tensions, or politics.
“Though forceful with Tibetans whom he worked with on his social projects, Akong Rinpoche was very judicious in political matters, avoiding any public assertions in either direction, and is very unlikely to have attracted serious hostility from any side,” Professor Barnett said in an e-mail. “He went as far as anyone has done in recent times in the effort to see if long-term, constructive Tibetan-Chinese coexistence and cooperation can be achieved without either side having to give up its basic principles and commitments.”“Though forceful with Tibetans whom he worked with on his social projects, Akong Rinpoche was very judicious in political matters, avoiding any public assertions in either direction, and is very unlikely to have attracted serious hostility from any side,” Professor Barnett said in an e-mail. “He went as far as anyone has done in recent times in the effort to see if long-term, constructive Tibetan-Chinese coexistence and cooperation can be achieved without either side having to give up its basic principles and commitments.”
Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche, Mr. Akong’s brother and the abbot of the Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland that Mr. Akong founded, released a statement on Tuesday that said the three victims had been “assassinated” in Chengdu. A postmortem was being carried out at a hospital, the abbot said. Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche, Mr. Akong’s brother and the abbot of the Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland that Mr. Akong founded, released a statement on Tuesday that said the three victims had been “assassinated” in Chengdu. A post-mortem was being carried out at a hospital, the abbot said.
Mr. Akong was a member of the Kagyu branch of Tibetan Buddhism, whose spiritual leader is the Karmapa Lama. After establishing the Samye Ling Monastery, Mr. Akong went on to create a network of social welfare projects across the developing world, including in Tibetan areas ruled by China.Mr. Akong was a member of the Kagyu branch of Tibetan Buddhism, whose spiritual leader is the Karmapa Lama. After establishing the Samye Ling Monastery, Mr. Akong went on to create a network of social welfare projects across the developing world, including in Tibetan areas ruled by China.
Mr. Akong was allowed by the Chinese government to travel to Tibet in 1992 to search for the reincarnation of the Karmapa Lama, after the 16th one had died. Mr. Akong identified Apo Gaga, a child in eastern Tibet, as the new Karmapa Lama. But the young lama then fled to India in 1999, at age 14, upsetting the Chinese and also inflaming a rivalry between lamas in exile — another powerful lama had already selected a different boy in India as the 17th Karmapa Lama. That schism continues within the Kagyu school. Mr. Akong was allowed by the Chinese government to travel to Tibet in 1992 to search for the reincarnation of the Karmapa Lama, after the 16th one had died. Mr. Akong identified Apo Gaga, a child in eastern Tibet, as the new Karmapa Lama. But the young lama then fled to India in 1999, at age 14, upsetting the Chinese and also inflaming a rivalry between lamas in exile: another powerful lama had already selected a different boy in India as the 17th Karmapa Lama. That schism continues within the Kagyu school.
Mr. Akong cultivated ties with Communist Party leaders and even met with Jia Qinglin, a member of the party’s elite nine-member Politburo Standing Committee, when Mr. Jia traveled to Britain in 2006.

Shi Da contributed research.

Shi Da contributed research.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: October 9, 2013

An earlier version of a summary with this article misidentified one of the victims of the stabbing. It was Mr. Akong’s nephew, not his son.